Guatemala Warns Citizens
Against Volcanic Air Pollution
GUATEMALA - The Guatemalan government's
National Disaster Reduction Coordinator (Conred)
warned citizens on Thursday that their
health is at risk from persistent dust
caused by the eruption of the Pacaya Volcano
two weeks ago.
Pacaya, 40 kilometers south of Guatemala
City, erupted on Thursday, spewing ash and
dust into Guatemala City and closing the
country's international airport, two days
before the Tropical Storm Agatha ploughed
into Guatemala and killed 156 people.
"The thick fog that has been observed in
recent days continues to contain solid
particles of volcanic sand," Conred said in
a statement published on its website.
"Potential damages include chemically
induced pneumonia, especially on the
patients of asthma; conjunctivitis and eye
irritation, mostly for contact lens users;
and dermatitis and gastroenteritis," said
the statement.
The agency also alerted local people to
prepare for sudden surges in water volume
because the sand produced by the volcano may
be damaging the city's waste water systems.
On Wednesday, Conred closed an area near a
21-meter-wide sinkhole in the city, which it
said was caused by volcanic ash clogging the
city's drains just before Agatha's
torrential rains.
Separately, on Wednesday night, Mexico's
Foreign Ministry said it had sent over 40
tons of aid to Guatemala in support of
Conred's efforts to address the emergency.
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